Maybe this is one of those contests that should be suspended due to fading light???
Agreed. I love this forum because there are so few or these kinds of posts, most people are polite and respectful - urm very British
They don't seem to want to point score or troll. Maybe if you want to do that you'd be better off with like minded people in MTF.
Indiana will see you over there Helen, if that's where they call people trolls. Seeing as this forum is for the elite and me too seeing as I'm not elite enough for your 'Britishness'. Do they have a sense of humour over there?
Match suspended as someone just hit the umpire with a ball
So, Novak won't be playing again this year. So that's him out of the 'battle for the top', not that he was really in it at this stage anyway. What it does mean is that when he comes back, he'll likely be somewhere between 12-16 in the rankings (I assume he won't get a PR?) and a very dangerous floater in Oz!
And the jury is very much out as to what seeding bracket Andy will likely end up in. Based on his race position, and even without ongoing injury concerns, he's on line to just about slip into the top 8.
Actually I could see him ending almost anywhere in the top 16 seeds ( though would no doubt need rather a lot of Rafa and Fed cooperation to have much chance to get near the very top spots ). If he packed in his own season he might even not quite make the top 16.
Fed vs Andy and Rafa vs Novak could be L16 ties in Melbourne !
With Rafa, not unexpectedly, not appearing in any draws this coming week ( more specifically not in the Washington ATP 500 ) Andy will go to 40 weeks at WR 1 on 07/08, drawing level with #14 Nastase in the earlier list of accumulated weeks as WR 1.
As to whether he can move ahead, as of now both Andy and Rafa remain entered for the Montreal Masters the following week. Neither are defending anything ( the Olympics last year brought the Canadian Masters forward, not that either played in it anyway ) nor have a full set of counters.
So it just comes down to whether Rafa can make up the current 285 points difference ( 7750 - 7465 ) to stop Andy adding a further week.
Stan out for the season following Novak, also hearing its likely Murray will pull out of Cincy and US Open, so Roger and Rafa guaranteed more or less for a clean sweep and a certainty for 1 and 2
Guardian reporting that Stan has been ruled out for the rest of season, joining Novak on the sides now. It probably means a) that Andy cant feasibly fall below 3rd in the rankings (remember at Wimbledon both Novak and Stan could have reached top spot!) b) the Tour Finals will be depleted now although we may see some new names come to the fore - at the moment Cilic is also injured and Andy's position in unclear - 9th and 10th spots are filled by Berdych (ok not a new name) and Dimitrov with Goffin in 11th...
Such a shame that Murray's had his injury/form woes this year, wouldn't have had a better opportunity to win a couple of slams but looks like that's a distant dream right now.
Andy has pulled out of Cincinnati now as some of us knew, from my source he will also be out of the US Open. Seems very strange not to just announce it. It would be unheard of to go into a Slam after not playing for so long. Weird.
Yes, looking out of the US Open although there is a certain amount of bloody mindedness in Andy and a WC for the week before then ... But yes very unlikely especially with this "source". If it is 'just' his hip one wonders if he did make things worse playing on vs Querrey in spite of denials though still fair amount of respect for that whatever.
In any event if Andy doesn't relinquish WR 1 after this week he will after next when 600 points drop off. Rafa will definitely overtake him though Fed in turn could overtake both Andy and Rafa by the end of next week.
So with young Shapovalov seeing off Nadal, Andy gets a 41st week as WR 1. Not the most successful 41 weeks of his career, but hey, he will return !
Takes Andy clear by himself at #14 on the list ahead of Nastase and that's it for now. Though Rafa has opened the door to the returning WR 1 being possibly Fed rather than himself.